Question that made Mayor quit 40-a-day

SMOKE FREE: The Mayor, Councillor Fida Hussain

“DO you care about us or do you care about the cigarettes?”

That pointed question from his seven-year-old daughter encouraged the Mayor of Oldham, Councillor Fida Hussain, to quit his 40-a-day smoking habit for good.

He is now supporting Stoptober, a national campaign that encourages smokers to quit the habit for the whole of October.

Councillor Hussain started smoking at a youth, and continued smoking up to 40 a day, despite knowing the health risks

But his daughter’s question, two years ago, “really hit home”.

“I realised very quickly the money I could be spending on them was going in the wrong direction. I’d urge young people offered cigarettes to not take notice, because they are not your friends. I know this sometimes can be a hard thing to do, but it is the right thing to do.

The 53-year-old father-of-five was constantly being pressurised from his wife, Tanvir, and his children to quit.

“If you are a smoker, consider taking up a challenge like Stoptober. There are some exceptional services in Oldham who do a grand job helping residents quit for good.”

Want to quit? Contact Oldham’s stop smoking team on 0161-621 7128 or visit www.stoptober.smokefree.nhs.uk.